text, un: researcher

[starmark]

[NOTE: "researcher" is not Jotaro's usual UN; this is a post from a throwaway account for the purposes of anonymity!]

Hello. We are attempting to conduct research for two ongoing studies of the moons and the affects they have on the behavior of the moonblessed. See below for respondent criteria and survey questions to answer.

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STUDY #1: A study of how Moonblessed relationship dynamics and behavior are influenced by the activity of their respective moons.

SEEKING: Moonblessed currently in an exclusive or committed (even if not exclusive) relationship with another Moonblessed not of the same moon as them.

SURVEY QUESTIONS:
<b>▶ DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:</b> <b>I Am A:</b> (Identify your gender OR write "I prefer not to disclose") <b>My Moon Is:</b> (Sanguis | Cordis | Iris) <b>Time Since Arrival in Lunatia:</b> (in months) <b>▶ PARTNER'S DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:</B> <b>They Are A:</b> (Identify their gender OR write "I prefer not to disclose") <b>Their Moon Is:</b> (Sanguis | Cordis | Iris) <b>Time Since Their Arrival in Lunatia:</b> (in months) <b>▶ SET ONE: HOW YOUR MOONBLESSING MANIFESTS:</b> Please answer here with a brief description, in your own words, of how your moonblessing manifests. Please describe both physical and psychological aspects as applicable. <b>▶ SET TWO: HOW YOUR PARTNER'S MOONBLESSING MANIFESTS:</b> Please answer here with a brief description, in your own words, of how your moonblessing manifests. Please describe both physical and psychological aspects as applicable. <b>▶ SET THREE: QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR RELATIONSHIP:</b> <b>How long have you been in your exclusive or committed relationship:</b> Please respond in your own words. <b>How does your moonblessing affect how you feel about your partner when your moon is active:</b> Please respond in your own words. <b>How does your partner's moonblessing affect how they behave toward you when their moon is active:</b> Please respond in your own words. <b>How does the triple moon's behavior affect how you behave toward each other when all moons are active:</b> Please respond in your own words.
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STUDY #2: A study of how Moonblessed personal traits may affect their associated Moonblessing.

SEEKING: Moonblessed newly arrived to Lunatia who have not yet experienced a moon cycle.

SURVEY QUESTIONS:
<b>▶ DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:</b> <b>I Am A:</b> (Identify your gender OR write "I prefer not to disclose") <b>My Species Is:</b> (Identify your species OR write "I prefer not to disclose") <b>I Am Romantically Interested In:</b> (Identify your preference OR write "I prefer not to disclose") <b>▶ QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR MOONBLESSING PREDICTION:</b> <b>I believe my moon will manifest as:</b> Please select Sanguis | Cordis | Iris. <b>Briefly describe your reasoning (if any) for what moonblessing you think you will manifest:</b> Please respond in your own words. <b>Briefly describe what attracts you to a partner:</b> Please respond in your own words.
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[OOC NOTES: If your character is the type to jack around with the Scientific Process™ and turn in a bogus survey, please feel at liberty to do so! Real responses, however, will be compiled and there may well be a follow-up post using the information provided.

Respondents of Survey #2, please assume your character got assigned an anonymous case study ID number and asked for contact information so that the study can later get follow-up data on how their actual moonblessing manifested; OOCly this can be handwaved!

Please put survey responses beneath their respective comment headers, but feel free to use the rest of the post for the usual discussion and chatter! Thanks!]

Comments

[cadeuces]

Haha, I won't take it the wrong way at all; I'm a researcher and scientist myself. I know the value of a thorough response. 😊 To answer your questions:

1) I have been with quite a few others; the moons changed alignments(?) on me well before my boyfriend arrived here, and before I met him. I was seeing someone else in a fashion but he had disappeared as many do in this place. I was quite distraught. I tend to run into those who require a bit of patience and understanding before they allow themselves to be with anyone as this place has made a necessity, and my demeanor suits that well. My line of work required me to handle traumatic incidents and people who needed time and kindness to recover. I've never minded going out of my way to offer my time to others. That is what I meant by explaining my current SO's understanding and agreement to a slightly more open relationship.

2a) In the dynamic between all three us, it isn't quite the case. Rather, I was explaining how that particular person is affected by Sanguis psychologically. He tends to be more submissive and willing to allow others to lead or take care of him. It isn't usually "his way". He's quite old-fashioned. The dynamic between the three of us is still a bit new, but he was interested in me and I had explained that I'm already seeing someone— he stated that he'd be willing to take the both of us on dates and see how it worked out. I would imagine by personality alone, my boyfriend (Iris) would be the most submissive between the three of us. It doesn't have as much to do with the moons as the strength of all of our personalities and how they work.

2b) I'm quite comfortable being either "dominant" or "submissive". As is my boyfriend. We don't mind letting one or the other take the lead in intimacies or otherwise. My Sanguis partner is often quite dominant but enjoys being taken care of, as well, and I don't think he ever really was before; thus, it comes across as submissive and passive despite him certainly being larger and much stronger than I am.

3) I would say I certainly feel more protective of my boyfriend compared to the others, yes. I don't know if I'd say it's on behalf of Sanguis or any sort of lunar pull— I know what his life has been like, to a degree, and can read on his body and in his demeanor what has likely happened to him or how others have treated him. But that is a consideration I take in everyone I meet; the fact that it is stronger for him only means I feel closer and more confident in taking such a stance with him. It'd be presumptuous to be that protective over a stranger, I'd think, or someone I've only just met unless the circumstances were severe. And even then, it'd only be a temporary spike until danger has passed.

Like I'd said in an earlier response, I have a particular demeanor well-suited to helping those with nervous or scarred dispositions. People who have difficulty allowing tactility or kindness, or assume it has some strings attached, or must be of some value they'll be indebted for. In a place like this where someone is hesitant to trust or allow such kindnesses, I imagine it can be very challenging. I try to help those people with benign bits of moonlacing. Some have become friends and I will check in with them regularly and be sure they aren't going to crystallize, but I wouldn't consider myself in a relationship with them beyond friendship. Does that make sense?

[starmark]

Right. My question was really that you've never been an Iris with your current Iris partner. For as long as that particular relationship has existed it's been a Sanguis/Iris relationship.

Also I guess I should clarify that the thing I'm trying to look at is the way that the moons influence the behavior of people in these committed relationships when they're in phase.

I'm not really focused on what people do with their own lives or the kinds of relationships they have. That's none of my business and outside the scope of the inquiry.

I'm just looking for trends in how the moons make people's behavior change.

[cadeuces]

Ah, I understand; my apologies for rambling in the wrong direction. I misread it as a commitment question instead of an overlap question. You are correct then that we've never shared one moon's influence, nor did I with my previous committed partners. The last had been Cordis and hadn't often had a very strong pheromonal effect as some do, and as most Iris do— he had been with me through both the Iris phases and the Sanguis phases as it changed. Then while I was Iris, there was a Sanguis-blessed, and another Iris-blessed (both separate)— I can say with some confidence that the dynamics were similar despite the moons, but that was more my personal experience and a tendency to guide others that put me in a more gently-dominant position in the hierarchy.

I think emotions run a little harder on intimate desires, and there is a universal tendency to want to be close and tactile, though it seems to be a bit of a coin toss on whether or not someone will go beyond their character and usual personal comforts in the sway of the moons versus those who are largely unaffected. Outright behavior that goes against one's usual tendencies is not entirely rare, but at least uncommon. Sometimes the extent of that effect is viewed favorably; I know someone touch-averse who benefits greatly from the ease that Iris allows them to be close with others. Often times, though— it's an irritation.

There does seem to be good compatibility between Iris and Sanguis, however, and Cordis seems to fit comfortably in between or with either. I'd hesitate to call it the moons' influence or the person's actual personality, since that doesn't always align to their signs, either. Which is why I explained how much I differ from the expected Sanguis effects and have thus far been only vaguely influenced by them, and that my actions were based more on my decisions and existing personality and morals than anything of the moons, when it came to being with others. It isn't anything like "A Sanguis-blessed taking care of a handful of Iris-blessed".

[starmark]

It's okay.
I haven't really run a lot of surveys like this. Or any, really.
So I'm learning too about how to ask better questions and tighten up my inquiries.
This one's just preliminary but the next one will be better I think.

Anyway it seems pretty generally acknowledged that the moonblessings don't necessarily control behavior, it's more like they lay over top of it.

So somebody who's already predisposed to be extroverted might be more inclined to act on Cordis than somebody who isn't.
That second person might experience the urge but have a higher resilience against it.

That would fit with how pretty much everyone has responded, I think.

[cadeuces]

Well, for a first attempt, I think you did wonderfully.
Will you be posting a conclusion when you've gathered enough data?

But yes, I would agree with that statement. The phases always shift, of course, and sometimes the effect is stronger or weaker, but I think everyone has done well to maintain control over themselves when possible, or found ways to vent their urges.

It can be any degree of change or effect, but it is still a fairly uniform response. It's always curious to me when those who aren't necessarily human maintain that same response. Some aren't even humanoid. I'm sure at the root of all things, there is a reason and some physiological compatibility that allows us to serve as conduits for the energy in this atmosphere that goes beyond a genetic level.

Ah, rambling again— thank you kindly for your time and questions. I hope I was able to help.

[starmark]

Yeah my plan is to compile the data and look for trends first.
Then see if that leads me to a hypothesis I can test.
Then figure out how to set up a real study and do that if I can.
Then probably write a paper or something.

I'm not even sure if I'll find anything.
But like I was telling some other guy I think "didn't find anything" is still useful information.